


Er, YouTube? [Ziall]

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction, Video Blogging & YouTube RPF
Genre: AU, BoyxBoy, M/M, Niall Horan - Freeform, YouTube, Zayn Malik - Freeform, Ziall Horlik, one direction - Freeform, youtuber!au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-06 22:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1874733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>YouTube: Broadcast Yourself. Zayn Malik is an English pretty-boy YouTuber whose only responsibility is upload a video twice a week, walk and feed a dog, and actively stalk the blond boy who lives in the flat across from him. His channel, ListZayn, was pretty much the thing that brought these two together - in a love-fest of cute kisses and hugs, three hyperactive dogs and a mutual hate of cheese dips.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my Wattpad account BelongsToHoran. Hope you enjoy!

(2009)

_Email Address: ListZayn@gmail.co.uk_  
Password: *******  
Re-Type Password: *******  
Username: ListZayn  
Location: Bradford, England.  
Date Of Birth: 1993|12|01  
Gender: **Male** Female 

I set up the camera on my table and sat in front of it, biting my lip. This was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing, and I wasn't sure if I was really going to go through with it. But hell, it shouldn't be too bad.

"Um, hi," I murmured when it started recording. "My name's... Zayn Malik... I don't know what to, like, say... er, I'm sixteen, and I like to... sing, I guess." _Um, er, um, er._ "This is a good place to start laughing at me I suppose, so off you go... and while you're at it, you can subscribe to this channel, if you like. ListZayn. If you want, my Twitter and Instagram are the same username. And if you like, I could come back and make another one of these videos. I feel really stupid, by the way. Talking to a camera, alone, in my room. But loads of people do it - though my sisters probably think I'm going a bit crazy.

"So... yeah... subscribe and tell your friends if you like. The name's Zayn Malik, again. Well, see ya."

_Did that go well?_

-•-

(2014)

**@ListZayn:** _hallelujah i found wifi  
 **@ListZayn: _@troyesivan_** why have u not done a video with me i dont understand **#disappointed**_

I guess it did go well; I got over 5.7k subscribers during 2009 and now, which was really great. And I was now getting paid for making these videos, which was a huge plus, and I had moved to London (from Bradford) in 2011. There's this really nice lad that lives in the flat opposite mine in my complex. I've never really asked his name - or even said two words to home for that matter. After all, I am an "Internet person", and we tend to be very socially awkward. Though I wouldn't mind hugging him round the middle and pressing my lips to his own oh-so-annoyingly-puffy ones.

As soon as I pressed send my mentions exploded and I laughed, sitting down in a booth at some little coffee shop where Louis and Harry were supposed to meet me.

**@ListZayn: _@Fuzzy_Ed_Sheeran_** and if i wasnt gay id totally go out with u too  
 **@List Zayn: _@tyleroakley_** lel no aint nobody got time fo dat ugh  
 **@ListZayn:** _guYS GUESS WHO I SPY IN THE COFFEE SHOP_  
 **@ListZayn:** _its hIM. HIM. HIM. O. I CANT. IM SO AWKWARD SITTING BY MESELF HELP_.

 

And sure enough, there he was, walking casually up to the cashier as though he couldn't see the dude in the corner openly stalking him. And I could have continued stalking him if someone hadn't come up behind me and chuckled, "See something you like, Zaynie?"

" _Louis_ ," I groaned. "Sit down, I've been waiting for you for, like, ten minutes."

"You and your timekeeping preferences, Z, it's bound to be bad for you," Harry grumbled, climbing into the booth with Louis following him and tucking himself close to the younger boy. "Besides - you got here two minutes ago. It's on your Twitter."

"You're stalking his Twitter?" Louis raised an eyebrow, not noticing the way I craned my neck to get a better look at _him_.

Him and his goddamned blond hair and his perfect teeth and his muscles that made his T-shirt look too tight and what would he do if I went over and took it off?

"Earth to Zayn!" Harry chuckled. "Dude, just go over and talk to him."

"What!? No! I can't do that! I'd, like, spaz out and attack him or something! I-"

"I have his Twitter," Louis said nochalantly.

"YOU WHAT!? Give me it!" I reached over and tried to take Louis' phone from his hand.

Louis just chuckled and swatted Zayn's hands away. "And another thing, dear Zaynie..."

The blond boy made his way over, grinning when he saw Louis wave to him, holding his coffee (black, with two sugars if I remember correctly) in both hands. I gave a tiny squeak and pulled my hands away from where I was still reaching for Louis' phone. "Y-you..."

"Hi Louis," he smiled, sitting down inbetween Louis and Harry. "This must be Zayn," _swoon, he said my name_ , "and Harry? Hiya, I'm Niall."

He's Irish oh my god. I groaned internally. Somewhere deep inside me was the Fangirl urge to start vlogging, but I knew I couldn't do that right now. Afterall, I could wait until I got a chance to film it instead.

"You're the guy who makes videos, yeah?" he asked, stretching out his hand for me to shake it. "I've watched a few, and I can hear you talking when I get home from work."

Or maybe I wouldn't vlog this. "Y-yeah, I'm ListZayn," I stuttered helplessly, taking his hand. "I'm a YouTuber."

"I feel kinda starstruck," Niall chuckled. "I watched your... what was it? 20 Things About Me video, and your coming out one. Congrats man."

Oh man. He knows I'm gay. "Y-yeah..." I'm starstruck too. I snuck my phone back out when he went back to talking with Harry and Louis, using Twitter since I couldn't vlog just yet.

@ListZayn: wHALE THANKS LOUIS FOR INVITING HIM OVER. (sent 4 seconds ago)  
@ListZayn: HES SO DREAMY SIIIGGGHHHH. (sent 3 seconds ago)

"Zayn, man, you've gotta start listening," Harry sighed, shaking my shoulder to get my attention. Before I could open my mouth to protest, he cut me off. "I know, I know, you're an Internet Person and you're unsocial. I get it. But could you at least answer Niall's question?"

"Sure..." I mumbled embarrassedly. "Go ahead Niall..."

The blond boy smirked in a way that reminded me of a devilish child. "Do you really like me?"

\--

I had walked off quickly after that, not knowing what to answer. So, as any idiot would do, I walked swiftly away. I wasn't sure whether to be honoured that he had watched that playlist - the playlist dedicated to him - or terrified that he knew of my... obsession with him. As soon as I had left, Louis sent me a text.

**From: Lou  
 _dude! you just LEFT! without even saying anything?? I mean, come on z..._**

**To: Lou  
 _he called me out! thats not fair lou!_**

**From: Lou  
 _you are such a baby zayn..._**

Not matter what Louis said, I was not a baby. At least, I hope I'm not. There was no way I would ever be able to show my face to that boy again. I'd have to move out of my house with just a backpack and stowaway on a ship and live on a deserted island in a makeshift home surrounded by fire ants and homicidal monkeys.

Okay so I was over-exaggerating. But there was no way I'd ever make a video about him again.

I let myself into my flat and dropped my keys on the couch after closing the door. As soon as they hit the leather, a little ball of fluff came bounding up to me.

"Hey boy!" I chuckled, leaning down to stroke the puppy's ears. "Did you miss me, Rexx? Huh?" Rexx responded by licking at my fingers, his tail wagging wildly.

I snickered at him, giving him one last pet before I made my way to my bedroom. It was simple; dark blue walls, wooden floor and black sheets. A cupboard in the corner, a dresser by the door and a bedside table with a lamp on top of it. Nothing fancy. Rexx's bed was situated in the living room, but he insisted upon sleeping at my feet. There was a camera and iMac on my dresser; I hadn't finished editing this week's video the previous night. I sighed and walked over to it, sitting down and starting the computer up.

Rexx ambled in at that point, walking over to where I was sitting and lying at my feet. I absently reached down to scratch softly at his ear. Living in his flat alone was horrible. While I was quiet and reserved and liked to have time to myself, I would've liked to have a flatmate. If only i had thought of that when I was moving in.

\--

After about an hour of editing, the video was finally ready to be uploaded. I quickly brought up YouTube and signed into my somewhat well-known account; ListZayn. I wasn't sure what I had been thinking when I thought of that username, but that didn't matter. The people who subscribed to me seemed to like it, and I had grown fond of it, so I wasn't going to change it.

While I waited for the damn thing to upload, I quickly wrote in the title - which was **_GODDAMNIT SLENDER MAN - Zayn Plays Slender *3*_** because I was being unoriginal and playing Slender (very horribly) - and the description.

**Hai. So new Slender video... yea.**

**Previous; http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EDYQnhLxjJU**

**Remember guys; respect each other in the comment section. I don't mind hate on me, but please don't hate on each other.**

**I love you all so much. Ew cheesy Zayn sorreh. But I do <3:***

**TWITTER;  
** @ListZayn  
INSTAGRAM;  
@ListZayn  
SECOND CHANNEL;  
IdekZayn  
FaceBook (ew);  
http://www.facebook.com/ZaynMalik  
T-SHIRTS/MERCH (woo!);  
http://www.zaynmalik.spreadshirt.com 

**PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, IT MEANS A LOT TO ME :D xxx-Z.M.**


	2. Flat

I had gone to bed at four in the morning, then woke up two hours later at six in cold sweat. I wasn't sure what had caused it - the dream had involved that stupid Slender guy though. Rexx jerked awake when my feet moved, and he sleepily stalked up to me, lying beside me instead. I chuckled and stroked his ears. "I guess it's time to get up then Rexx." I groaned and rolled out of bed, walking through groggily to the kitchen.

I leaned tiredly against the countertop, about to reached to get the cereal box when I remembered the dream.

It had been night, and I was sitting in my bed editing; as usual. Then Niall had barged in and I had screamed, because he was only in boxers. _'S-Slender!'_ he had gasped, and Slender himself walked in behind him, and I could only watch as Niall spasmed and fell to the ground. Obviously, Slender got me next and that was when I had woke up. I snorted. A bit of a strange dream, that. But it had scared me nonetheless, and I was tempted to go check if Niall had been killed by the fictional villain.

Then I chuckled at my foolishness. Besides, Niall was probably laughing at me at the very moment. I'd text Louis, get his Twitter and be content admiring him from afar.

...I mean, a computer screen.

But something inside of me was unsatisfied with my Internet ways. Something inside of me craved to hold Niall, to protect him and keep him from harm's way. I wanted to call the blond mine, it wanted me to take a grip on reality and woo Niall.

I had to.

\--

_"Zayn?"_

"Yeah, Lou, it's me-"

_"What are you doing up this early?"_ he snapped groggily. _"I was sleeping!"_

"I know Louis, I just... do you have Niall's number?" I whispered, curled up on my couch. "I really need to call him-"

Louis groaned. _"You got me up at half six to get Niall's_ phone number _? I thought you were in trouble! You're_ never _up before noon."_

"I had a bad dream..." I muttered sheepishly.

The older boy paused before sighing. _Win. "Fine, fine, Z. I'm sorry I snapped. I'll give you his number..."_ He quickly mumbled it to me, and I scribbled it on a piece of paper. _"Don't call him too early, Z. I don't think he'd appreciate it. I've gotta go, I think Harry's waking up- Morning, baby, I'm just talking to Zayn... I'll see you later, Z."_

"Sorry Lou. See you," I agreed, ending the call. I now had Niall's phone number. I just didn't know what I wanted to do with it. Obviously I was going to use it to _'woo'_ him, but I didn't know how to. How could I possibly phone him after I had humiliated myself the day before? I sighed and walked through to my room, setting my camera up and turning every light on.

"Hi, my name's Zayn and you're watching ListZayn: welcome," I rambled. "So if you follow me on Twitter - link in the description if you don't - you-" Wait, I promised I wouldn't do a video about this. I groaned, deciding to cut that bit out. "So yesterday I was thinking: My flat is very quiet and lonely. Of course, that's what I have Rexx for - to keep me company -, but I'd rather have some human company... I have no friends!" I whined.

"I've got no one to ask to move in with. I'll need to go ask Dan if I can replace Phil..." I leaned forward, going to cut that bit out later, "I'm kidding, Phan shippers." Then went back to my original position, going to do the same there. "But I would love to have a YouTuber as a flatmate. Pleeeeease? I sound thirsty I'm sorry." I chuckled at myself stupidly. "I have absolutely nothing to talk about and the people who follow me on Twtter might be wondering why I haven't talked about a specific thing that I was freaking over yesterday - and I will not be talking about it... it's quater to seven in the morning, by the way, and I'm making the second video of the week in my pajamas." I sighed. "That's my life in a nutshell. One thing I will tell you about yesterday is, I learnt his name. And I sat next to him. I could've... but I didn't... ugh. I cannot flirt, just so you guys know. And; wait for it; he watches my videos. Or, rather, he watched the Dude Across The Hall playlist, and my coming out video. Bleh." I grunted, then sighed. "Well, sucks for me. As usual. No one cares about ol' Zayn."

"So yeah... that's all I really have to say, to be honest," I shrugged. "Sorry this video was quite short, I've not really got anything to talk about today. See you, guys - the name's Zayn Malik, and I'll see you later."

I reached forward and shut the camera off with a wink, then my smile fell. What the hell was I supposed to do now?

\--

**[ n i a l l ]**

_"Hi my name's Zayn and you're watching ListZayn Plays: welcome."_

I groaned, running my hand over my face. It wasn't like I hated the guy, it was just... I could always feel him watching me. Any normal person would have asked someone on a date by now but _nooo_ , he had to just sit behind his door and stalk me while I was walking my dogs.

I mean, if he simply walked up to me and said _Hey Niall, I was wondering if I could possibly take you out for dinner?_ it would be okay and I'd most likely say yes, but watching me from the peep hole of his door? No. That was not okay.

Eventually, I peeled my palm from over my eyes and looked back at the screen. He had cursed loudly several times already, so I had assumed he had died a total of three times. He was staring at the screen with a scowl, his hair having fallen from its perfect quiff onto his forehead because of the amount of times he had ran his hand through it.

_"Fricking Slender, for fu- No! No! Nooooooo!"_ He slammed the controller into his knees when he was caught by Slender once more. _"I can't believe this, oh my god, I was so close!"_ I chuckled, rolling my eyes fondly. Then I caught myself; hell, I didn't even know the guy! Sure, we had sat at the same table once but he hardly said one word to me and I scared him off by asking if he liked me.

_"...Well, guys, I think that's enough of me screaming for today. If you want to see someone play Slender better, I suggest you go over to Felix's channel, PewDiePie. But for now, that's all from me. The name's Zayn Malik, and I'll see you later."_

The screen gave way to an end screen, **PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO ME... YOU'LL GET A COOKIE:D** , and the usual social media stuff. I continued to stare blankly at it. My husky puppies Cyber and Wilbur barked at the phone. And I awoke from some sort of trance.

I ran a hand through my hair without really prossessing people on the phone couldn't see me, and accepted the call - Unknown Number. "Hello?" I wondered curiously.

The person on the other end cursed in a Bradford accent, and my heart almost stopped. _"Yeah er, hi,"_ he managed after a slightly awkward pause. _"This is really weird but I'm like, outside your flat and I was wondering if you could maybe, like, let me in? Not if you don't want to, of course!"_

"Would this happen to be the infamous ListZayn?" I smirked down the line, and I heard a faint splutter from outside. "I wonder why you would want in my house, Zayn, when yours is right across from it?"

_"I-I'm locked out?"_

"Mhmm. Come in, it's unlocked."

_"That's kind of unsafe..."_

The front door opened and I heard light footsteps, the phone clicking off as he made his way through the house, finding the bedroom easily because his flat was a mirror version of mine. "How'd you get my number, Mr YouTube?" I teased, tilting my head to the right.

"I, uh, Louis," he shrugged. Then he motioned to the bed. "Mind if I...?"

I shook my head, turning and quickly shutting the YouTube video off. "So, Malik, how did you manage to lock yourself out of your house at eight in the morning?"

He sat on the bed, his shoes discarded and his legs folded beneath him, looking curiously over my shoulder as I fiddled with my computer. "Did you just shut off one of my videos?" he asked, ignoring my question completely. "You watch my videos?"

"They're all over my recomendations, I thought I'd take a look," I shrugged nochalantly. "By the way, you're not very good at playing Slender..."

His face burned red, and he looked down at his hands. "I'm not as good at videogames as Felix or Toby, no," he whispered, the blushed reaching his ears at an alarmingly fast pace. "But you know, my subscribers like watching me get mad and fail, so, it's okay."

I had to fight to keep from either hugging him or laughing at him, so my face probably looked like a walrus had sat on a duck but he didn't exactly notice with his eyes glued to his fingers. "Yeah, I guess they do," I managed to croak out through a silent chuckle. "So, YouTube, got any plans for school? Seeing as you're twenty and all."

Zayn shrugged. "I've never really been interested in school or anything," he looked up. "I don't really want to go to college or Uni, really."

"What? You know if your YouTube channel doesn't work out you have nothing to fall back on, right?" I raised my eyebrow in disbelief.

He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head slightly. "School just isn't for me. Besides, YouTube is bringing in lots of money right now, I think I'd be good for a few years before I got myself tied down. I have great friends and my family who'd probably give me a loan. What about you? You interested in school?"

"Well I'm going to Uni soon to become a teacher..." I shrugged. "English teacher."

Zayn made a face between _That's great, good for you!_ and _Ha, nerd!_ that made my smirk make a reappearance. "Cool. I guess I'm not as smart as you are, hm?"

I shrugged. "Well, if I had a YouTube career and great friends and family I wouldn't have to be smart," I teased. "You want something to drink?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the Queen of similes.


	3. (1/2) Liam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter because I was writing and I forgot to save. You can probably tell where the story goes from there.
> 
> (By the way, as I've mentioned before, this story was originally posted on Wattpad, so I've already written up to the fourteenth chapter. The updates until I run out of chapters will be frequent).

Zayn spent the morning at mine's, asking countless questions. _What age are you? When are you going to Uni? For how long? What are your dogs' names? Do you have any siblings?_ To which I answered whole-heartedly, my smirk never once leaving my face; _I'm twenty. In a year or so. For three years. The girl is Cyber and the boy, Wilbur. I have an older brother named Greg, and a younger brother named Ashton._ We sat on my couch and just talked the morning away as if we had known each other forever. I knew stuff about my stalker know; his favourite colour was dark blue, he didn't like the sun light as much as the dark, his YouTube channel with five million subscribers was a huge part of his life, he hated holding kids just in case he dropped them and had to live with the guilt, he came out to his family when he was thirteen and he hated cheese dips.

We sat on separate ends of the couch, our feet in the middle and just barely touching. _Amazing Spider-Man_ was on, but we were ignoring it for the sole purpose of merely talking to each other. I would occasionally tap his knee with my toes if he said anything stupid (which was a lot), and he would make a face and tell me to keep my smelly feet to myself, which would have us in a fit of childish giggles.

"My sisters used to dress me up and make me sing ' _So What_ ' to my Mum and Dad!" he exclaimed after I had told him about the time Greg had told me to jump in a mucky river.

"No way!" I snickered. "I can just imagine you, little tiny Zayn in a big pink dress singing Pink songs to his parents!"

He groaned, launching at me and pinning me down to the couch. "You will not speak of this again, are we clear?" he smirked, using the advantage of his height against me.

"Aren't you going to take this chance?" I replied cheekily. "Y'know, to kiss me?"

His face flushed and he backed off immediately. "N-no, I just- Maybe I should-"

"Zayn, mate, you don't have to," I shrugged, settling back into the couch and reaching for the remote to turn the telly up. "We're friends now, right?" He grumbled something and scooted back into his side of the couch, leaning against the armrest. "What was that?" I smirked, poking him with my toes again. "Aw, are you mad at me now? Please don't be mad at me." I crawled up and plopped down on his lap, just as the door opened.

"Niall man- Whoa," Liam blinked in surprise. "Am I interrupting something?" He raised his eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, resting my head on Zayn's shoulder - his Adam's apple bobbing at the contact. "No, Liam, you're not interrupting anything," I replied a little too snappily, and Zayn squirmed uncomfortably.

"I think you're squashing him," Liam motioned towards Zayn briefly before making his way to the kitchen - which was basically another part of the living room with a different floor and wallpaper - and setting down my iPad which he had borrowed for 'work purposes, Niall, work purposes'. "So, what exactly am I _not_ interrupting? That kid looks terrified, Ni, what did you do to him?"

I glared at Liam. "Zayn, this is Liam. Liam, ListZayn," I introduced, still situated in the older boy's lap.

"Liam," Zayn greeted shakily.

Liam grinned. "You have a tongue! I was scared you weren't going to talk to me, mate, I'm Liam Payne," he gave a lopsided smirk.

"Liam Payne as in, Liam Payne, the actor?" Zayn asked, his head tilting to the side curiously.

Liam nodded, helping himself to the orange juice in the fridge. I attracted Zayn's attention back to me with a simple click of my fingers in front of his face, managing to get his cheeks to go that cute pink colour by pecking his cheek teasingly. "And so I'm the only one who isn't famous in this room."

"I'm not famous..." Zayn replied, baffled.

[ z a y n ]

_Famous_? Me? No. Liam - Liam was famous; he was a world-wide actor, he had played as the best characters and voiced the cutest cartoons. Me? I was a weird kid with an obsession with the Internet.

"I think five million YouTube subscribers means you're quite famous, Zayn," Niall rolled his eyes sassily. "Besides, people love you."

"People love Liam," I compensated. "People adore Liam."

Liam snickered into his orange juice, sitting on the countertop and swinging his legs slightly. Niall frowned, "People adore you, too."


End file.
